Laminated material



April 14, 1936. R. w. WILLIAMSON LAMINATED MATERIAL Original Filed Jan. 11, 1933 Patented Apr. 14, 1936 PATENT OFFICE mmnarnn I Roger W. Williamson, Baltimore, Md.

Renewed September 5, 1935 Application January 11, 193's, Serial No. 651,285

10 Claims.

We invention. is a composite material primarily designed for. wall or panel construction of the type in which the exposed area consists of.

a facing of wood veneer or other comparatively thin ornamental material usually to be applied to one side only of the preferred backing material; By means of such a composite construction it is possible to finish a room by applying the material sheet-like 'form directly to the studding, omitting the usual plaster, thereby producing a wood-paneled room at low cost and with additional advantages, as will hereinafter appear.

Heretofore, attempts have been-made to produce composite fireproof or incombustible wall' material, by attaching wood veneer or other sheet-like ornamental surfacing, to wood cores I which have been treated to render them fireresistant". Theseattempted composite structures havei'ailed to achieve commercial success for various reasons, which will now be enumerated.

In the first-place, the art of wood veneering involves a peculiar techinque developed over a period of centuries. As is well known, wood veneering facings have long been applied to wood cores, but the technique of the art makes itmandatory that the grain of the face and backing veneer must'not run parallel with that of the core. to thecore in such manner that their respective grains are disposed at right angles to each other, so as to avoid twisting of the composite structure and cracking of the facing material. In fact, the best practice dictates that the core be formed of ply board, i. e. a plurality of superposed veneer-like sheets firmly cemented together, and disposed with their respective grains in criss-cross relation. By such arrangement they attempt to neutralize strains and provide a durable structure. The difiiculties of obtaining the necessary equality of properties in two directions are such that those skilled in the art not only consider it advisable to use the same type of veneer forfacing and backing, but even consider it necessary thatthe facing and backing be both slice cut, both rotary cut or both saw cut. Certainly, omission of the backing veneer could not be even considered.

In the second place, walls or panels constructed of cores which have been rendered fire-re-' sistant by the commonly known impregnation methods, and wood veneers bound thereto, have been found impracticable in use, and are avoided by the architects'wherever possible' This is becausethe material used inthe so-called fireproofing, and the finishing materiaisused on the wall or panels, in Icourserof time react to cause change of color and appearance of spots over the areas. 'In additionto this, wood which has; been processed "to render it flre-resistantds 'I'herefore,.the veneer is usually applied diflicuit to mill because the processing material contained therein quickly ruins the cutting edges of all knives and other cutting tools, thereby greatly increasing the cost of installation as well. Attempts-have been made to attach such ornamental, surfacing to slabs or sheets constructed ofthe so-called fireproof materials, in which asbestos is normally included as an ingredient, because of its fire-resistant characteristics.

In the manufacture of fire-resistant wall material of the asbestos type, it is common to. use either gypsum orhydraulic cement as a binder. The gypsum base is commerciallyimpracticable for use as a core for veneer, because it lacks the necessary tensile strength to prevent the'veneer from stripping from the surface of the core, and it is so soft that it breaks away at the edges. When hydraulic cement is employed as the binder, the proportions of cement commonly employed are so high with respect to the other constituents, as to provide a very hard more or less brittle board which is friable at the edges. In fact, the material is so hard and'brittle that it cannot be penetrated by nails or similar fastening devices, for the purpose of securing the sheets to the wall studding. Therefore, 'hole's must be bored therein for the passage of screws or nails, with'the result that the boards frequently fracture during the boring operation, and in' practice, will also fracture in the vicinity of said nail holes when the holding strain of the nail is brought to bear upon the slab. In addition to the foregoing, wall boards of this type will crack under intense heat, thereby rendering it more'or less unstable.

When the mix is modified by adding another ingredient, such as vermiculite or any of its equivalents, the board will not be so brittle, but

Another important factor is that the commonly known commercial adhesives are not capable of effecting a permanent bond between the refractory or asbestos cores and the veneer or other facing. For instance, cores of this type have de pressions in some portions of the surface areas, and it istherefore necessary to even the surface to which the facing is to be attached, said even ing beingaccompli'shed bysanding or otherwise,

in order to insure that the core and the veneer and the adhesive are all evenly contacting under the pressure developed by the press. Also, adhesives with acid characteristics have been tried, and the acid of these types of adhesive react in' an objectionable manner upon the alkaline characteristics of the core material, so that the strength of the adhesive is impaired and there is a liability that the veneer facing will .be stained and spotted, and the bond weakened or destroyed.

Bearing in mind the various objections heretofore encountered in the art,.one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a .composite structure comprising a refractory core of the type which includes asbestos as one ingredient and hydraulictor Portland cement as a binder and having attached: thereto a facing of wood veneer orsotlrer sheet-like ornamental material. A further objectiis to provide a heat-resistant compositetstructure, in wln'ch an incombustible core of;low thermal conductivity may be substituted for .theifireeresistant wood now in common use in fireproof building construction. A further object is=to produce --a--.refractory core member of theiflre-resistant type-which includes asbestos as one -of its fire-resistant constituents and hydraulic .or Portland cement as a binder, which core-member maybe readily penetrated by nails, screws-andother fastening devices and-which will not=craekz under high heat. A further object is to ,provide a 'composite structure comprising a eorewomposed-of infusible non-metallic silicates, provided-witha veneer or other similar facing attached theret by means of an adhesive which will-flllwdepressions in the core surface and which will provide-anefiective'bond without the necessity-of sanding=or otherwise smoothing the surfaces of the'core. A'furtherobject is to provide a=composite structure comprising a core member consisting of non-combustible plastic silicates and ancrnamental surface attached by means of anadhesive-containing an ingredient which neutralizes=any degree of acidity of the wood, as .well as any degree of acidity in the finishing materials. akfurther object is to-provide a composite structureof the character'mentioned in which-the adhesive contains rubber in a form whichiisnormally held in solution but capable of congealing-afterbeing applied tothe surfaces to be bonded, thereby providing a perfect-bond betweenthe-materials, and which at the sametime interposes a moisture-resistant and acid 'neutralizing-bond between .the surface material and thecore, and also-a resilient bond between the eoreand the surfaicezmateriahwhich bond furthermore possesses -sound deadening characteristics. V

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and'particularly pointed out in the claims.

' In the accompanying drawing:-

The figure is a longitudinal sectional view-of a sheet-like composite board constructed in accordance with the invention. In this connection, it is to be understood that the structure-is shown in -more 'or less diagrammatic form for illustrative purposes'only, and without intending to limit the invention, because it is obvious that-the material ='may be in block-or-any other geometrical form.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates the non-combustiblefire-resistant cor'e, II the ornamental-facing, which may be'wood veneer or any other ornamental surface materials, suchas those of the cellulose type, the-core and the facing being united -'by an adhesive '12. If desired, the

rear surface of the core It may be likewise ve-' neered or be painted with a suitable substance It to render it more moisture resistant, for which purposeany material which may be applied by means of a solvent carrier may be used, provided that it has the desired body, although it is preferred to employ aluminum paint for this purpose.

The score III is constructed of a mixture of infusible non-metallic silicates including a silicate binder and'a silicate ingredient which so tempers and toughens the sheet as to render it crack-resistant, and fire-resistant without destroying its tensile strength. A preferred material is described and claimed in a concurrently filed application for patent by Roger W.-Williamson and Guy Leonard, SerialNo. 651,236, and no claim is here made to the core per se.

As described in said application the material constituting the core Ill comprises a mixture which includes asbestos, a micaceous material such as vermiculite, or its equivalent, kaolin and hydraulic or Portland cement as a binder. Such a core is approximately crack and fracture proof, under all conditions, is easily cut and fastened to supporting material. If it is not desired to take advantage of these characteristics, any other mixture of the infusible non-metallic silicate type may be substituted as the core. It will benoted that the asbestos, vermiculite and kaolin are all infusible non-metallic silicates cemented by an infusible, non-metallic silicate binder, i. e. hydraulic or'Portland cement. .It is also important toobserve that the ingredients-of which the core is constructed are alkaline in-character.

The surfacing II and the core l0 are united by an adhesive in which latex held in suspension, is included as a constitutent' together with other adhesive materials carried by a solvent. This adhesive has the physical characteristic that it willfillthe valleys or pits in the rough surface of the core material, and will produce a strong bond under any temperature conditions which will permit the rubber to congeal, so that preliminary sanding of the surfaces is unnecessary. Chemically it is'alkaline, and does not react with the alkalinity of the non-metallic silicates to injure the bond, and at the same time it neutralizes any. acids in the wood which otherwise would react on thealkaline core. An adhesive which has been found suitable for this purpose is disclosed in a copending application filed by Frank H. Shoals, concurrently herewith Serial No. 651,229. The cores l0 may be made in any desired shape, usually in flat sheet-like form of predetermined dimensions. To produce the composite structure of the present invention, the

more or less "rough surface of the core to be faced is first covered with a coating of the adhesive. posed upon the core and subjected to moderate heat and pressure. The coating I3 may then be applied, or if desired it may be applied prior to the attaching of the facing.

The advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it belongs. For instance, it will be noted that the adhesive possesses the characteristic of not only effectively binding the parts together, but also prevents weakening of the bond, as well as staining or spotting of the facing material by neutralizing any acid which may be present therein. A further advantage is that the veneer' or other surfacing is applied to a core material whichrequires Lno cross-bonding layers or The facing material is then superbacking veneer, and which may be penetrated by nails, so that it may be readily secured to wall stanchions or other supports, so that neat and clean fitting of the material in installation is possible. Another important advantage is that by constructing the core of infusible nonmetallic silicates, the expense of installation of a composite material which may be utilized for ornamental interior walls Where fireproof conditions may be desired, is greatly reduced because a. much cheaper substitute is provided for the ordinary fire-resistant treated woods now commonly employed. At the same time a composite structure is provided which avoids the objections inherent to attempts to provide veneer surfaces to woods which have been treated with fire-resistant materials. An outstanding advantage is the providing of a material which, in addition to its fireproof quality, is sound-absorbing and of low thermal conductivity. As it is to be applied directly to the studding, plaster may be eliminated, and the finished wall be at once wood paneled. Heretofore, the efiect of a wood-paneled room had to be secured at an additional cost to plastering, or some other wall-forming material. Also, in the prior usage of so-called wall boards considerable difilculty has been experienced because of their pulling apart at the joints. This trouble is fully discussed in Wood Construction, the published findings of the National Committee on Wood Utilization published in 1929 (pages 285 and 286). Preferred joint constructions for strength and appearance have been developed and are disclosed and claimed in a concurrently filed application for patent by William T. Hermes, and no claim is here made for such joint construction.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed is:-

1. A laminated material consisting of a noncombustible rigid core comprising a mixture of asbestos, a foliated micaceous material, a'hydraulic cement binder and a hydrous aluminum silicate tempering agent of the kaolin group, and a thin veneer-like facing adhering to one surface of said core.

2. A laminated material consisting of a rigid unfired non-friable, substantially hard and tough sheet-like refractory body comprising a mixture of hydraulic cement binder, asbestos, a foliated micaceous material and a tempering agent consisting of a hydrous aluminum silicate of the kaolin group, the proportion of the tempering agent with respect to the total mixture being such that said body is readily workable with edge tools and penetrable by sharp metal anchoring devices without danger of body fracture, and a thin veneer-like facing adhering to the surface of said core,

3. A laminated material consisting of a noncombustible rigid core comprising a hydraulic cement binder, asbestos, a foliated micaceous material anda hydrous aluminum silicate tempering agent of the kaolin group, said corehaving an alkaline reaction, a veneer-like facing, covering a surface of said core, an interposed adhesive of alkaline reaction uniting the facing and the core, said adhesive including a substance which pro- ,tects the alkalinity of said core, and a moistureresistant coating on, the other face of said core.

4. A laminated material consisting of a noncombustible rigid core comprising a mixture of a hydraulic cement binder, asbestos, a foliated micaceous material and a hydrous aluminum silicate tempering agent of the kaolin group, a veneer-like facing for said core, and an interposed adhesive of alkaline reaction uniting the facing and the core, said adhesive including a substance which protects the alkalinity of said core;

5. A laminated material consisting of a noncombustible rigid core comprising a mixture of a hydraulic cement binder, asbestos, a foliated micaceous material and a hydrous aluminum silicate tempering agent of the kaolin group, and an adhesive interposed between said core and said facing and possessing the characteristic of developing latent adhesive qualities upon the application of heat.

6. A laminated material consisting of a noncombustible rigid core comprising a mixture of a hydraulic cement binder, asbestos, a foliated micaceous material and a hydrous aluminum silicate tempering agent of thekaolin group, and an alkaline adhesive interposed between and uniting the facing and said core, said adhesive including a rubber constituent.

7. A laminated material consisting of a noncombustible rigid core possessing low thermal conductivity, said core comprising a mixture of a hydraulic cement binder, asbestos, a foliated micaceous material and a hydrous aluminum silicate tempering agent of the'kaolin group, a wood veneer-facing for said core, and an adhesive bond between said core and the facing.

8. A laminated material consisting of a noncombustible unfired rigid core comprising a mixture of a hydraulic cement binder, asbestos, a foliated micaceous material and a hydrous aluminum silicate tempering agent of the kaolin group, said core being readily .workable with edge tools and penetrable by sharp metal anchoring devices without danger of body fracture, a wood veneer facing for the core, and an adhesive interposed between the facing and the core, said adhesive containing a resilient bonding material.

9. A laminated material consisting of a refractory unfired rigid core comprising a mixture of a hydraulic cement binder, asbestos, a foliated micaceous material and a hydrous aluminum silicate tempering agent of the kaolin group, said core having 'an alkaline reaction and having inherent surface depressions therein, a veneer-like facing for said core, and an adhesive uniting said,

facing to the core, said adhesive containing a resilient material capable of filling said surface depressions in such manner as to provide an adhesive-coated surface coextensive with the total area of the core.

10. A laminated material consisting of a refraotory unfired rigid core comprising a mixture of a hydraulic cement binder, asbestos, a foliated micaceous material and a hydrous aluminum sillcate tempering agent of the kaolin group, said core having an alkaline reaction and having inherent surface depressions therein, a. veneer-like facing for said core, and an adhesive uniting said facing to the core, said adhesive containing an ingredient capable of neutralizing the inherent acidity of the facing, and also containing an ingredient capable of filling said depressions in such manner that a level adhesive-coated surface is provided coextensive with the full area of the core surface.

ROGER W. WILLIAMSON. 

